Spring/Summer 2014 “Creative Living”

Spring - Summer 2014
Creative Living
at Horizon House
Health and Wellness
All the Care You Need in One Place
By Lauri Warfield-Larson
Horizon House is
committed to providing
a continuum of
healthcare for all its
residents—a range
of comprehensive
services that support
our strong philosophy
Health Services Officer
of “aging in place.”
Lauri Warfield-Larson
Horizon House prides
itself on innovation; unique to our community
is a seven-day-a-week Medical Clinic and
healthcare program we call Supported Living,
as well as our extensive Wellness Program.
Horizon House supports the desire of
residents to remain in their own apartments
in Independent Living for as long as possible.
An anchor for “aging in place” is our Medical
Clinic. The Clinic specializes in Geriatrics
and is staffed by a full-time Advanced
Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) and
licensed nurses who support residents
with medication management needs, case
management, monitoring of chronic health
conditions, and coordination of medical
appointments. We are also proud to partner
with providers for dental care, audiology,
and podiatry services. Additionally, Horizon
House has its own home care company:
Horizon Home Care collaborates closely
with the Medical Clinic team to ensure those
residents in need of additional support
have the best quality of life possible while
remaining in their own Independent Living
apartments.
Supported Living is a residential healthcare
program, for those who benefit from a
more supportive environment. This model
operates under Washington State Assisted
Living regulations and combines a wide
range of care and services to address the
individualized needs of residents in a homelike environment. Long-term residency
with nursing support services, as well as
short-term respite care for residents of our
community who many require intermittent
nursing services, are available within
Supported Living. Our model of care also
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includes a higher level of support with
activities of daily living for residents who
are recovering from illness or injury and
dementia care.
Supported Living offers licensed nursing and
elder care assistants (nursing aides) twentyfour hours a day, seven days a week. We also
offer a wide variety of activities designed to
enhance resident quality of life, including
social services, spiritual care, medical
records, rehabilitation therapy, and wellness.
research and the experience of retirement
communities nationwide, it appears that
this trend will only continue. As a result, the
Horizon House Board of Trustees recently
approved an expansion of Supported Living.
Over the course of the next year and a
half, we’ll remodel eight Independent Living
apartments in our East Tower to create 17
new Supported Living apartments, all of
which will be contiguous with the current
Supported Living campus.
An important category of care within
Supported Living is Memory Support.
This “neighborhood” provides a secured
environment with a higher staff ratio for our
residents who benefit from such a milieu.
We recently renovated our Memory Support
neighborhood to provide for more common
areas, a state-of-the-art spa, and brighter
spaces. Of the 17 new Supported Living
apartments, nine will be part of Memory
Support.
Recently we have experienced a marked
increase in the demand for our Supported
Living services. Horizon House residents in
Independent Living apartments are aging
and more of them need this type of care.
Also, our Supported Living residents are
living longer due to the quality of care
and support they receive. From all our
Supported Living is a model that brings
care and services to the resident, where the
focus of each day is living and enjoying life.
Staff and residents alike create the gracious
home-like environment we pride ourselves
on—truly living and working together in the
spirit of community.
Spiritual Care
Connection, Compassion, Support
In a community with a range of faith
traditions, the department of Spiritual
Care reaches out to everyone at Horizon
House in an inclusive, welcoming way.
Spiritual Care is part of the Healthcare
team and works with residents, families,
and support groups, offering programs and
study opportunities: weekly chapel services,
spiritual programming in Supported Living,
special holiday observances, and private
visits. This past June the Spiritual Care
department offered “Exploring the Healing
Spirit of the Celtic Soul,” a program of film,
song, and storytelling led by Kathy Heffernan
that explored the wisdom and spirituality of
the ancient Celts and how it can be applied
to our lives today.
The Reverend Kizzie Jones, M.Div., has
served as Director of Spiritual Care since
March 1997. An ordained minister in the
United Church of Christ, Kizzie is a boardcertified chaplain in the Association of
Professional Chaplains. The Reverend Terry
Teigen, M.Div., also an ordained minister in
the United Church of Christ, has served as
Associate Director of Spiritual Care since
2009, when he completed Clinical Pastoral
Education at Swedish.
Kizzie Jones
also welcomes
volunteers who wish
to share their gifts
with those in need.
The Interfaith Chapel
is located on the first
floor at the east end
of the Performance
Hall. There is a
Meditation Room on Terry Teigen
the A-level in the West
Wing; it is always open and available, with
access to our Spirituality Library. Find out
more about Spiritual Care on our website at
www.horizonhouse.org/healthcare/
spiritual-care or simply stop by and say
hello.
Kizzie and Terry minister to Horizon House
residents, whether they’re living here or
receiving care elsewhere. Spiritual Care
willingly assists residents, families, and staff
in times of transition or loss. The department
The Art of Healthy Living
The Wellness Program at Horizon House is fully staffed by a dedicated
team of professionals. Matt Morse, our Wellness Manager, is assisted
by Exercise Specialists Margaret Travaille, Miran McCash, and Bryon
Carr in teaching more than 36 classes weekly, as well as designing
individualized exercise programs and providing support in our
extensive gym facilities.
Horizon House residents have varying needs, capabilities, and goals
when it comes to exercise. Our comprehensive Wellness Program
aims to help everyone at Horizon House maintain their health and
independence through regular, appropriate physical activity.
Wellness offerings include group exercise classes designed to enhance
cardiovascular fitness, strengthen the muscles, and maintain flexibility
and balance; aqua aerobics classes in a warm-water saline pool; dance
aerobics; yoga, meditation, Qi Gong, and Tai Chi classes to focus the
body and mind; seated, non-weight bearing classes; Weight Watchers;
and personal training and program design.
In these summer months, our Tuesday Morning Treks take advantage of
the community outside the doors of Horizon House, allowing residents
to experience and enjoy beautiful destinations throughout the Seattle
area, including Kubota Gardens, Lake Union, the Olympic Sculpture
Park, Alki, and Pike Place.
This fall we plan on launching a new Brain Fitness Program, presenting
cutting-edge research on the activities that can help maintain or
improve brain health.
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The Wellness Program also offers many optional services, such as
massage therapy and acupuncture. We work closely with our partner
Infinity Rehab to provide physical, occupational, and speech therapy
on site. Our rehabilitation center is fully equipped with a wide range
of exercise and therapeutic equipment, as well as a knowledgeable,
supportive staff who work with residents in planning rehabilitation
goals. All services can be booked by appointment daily; please visit our
website at www.horizonhouse.org/healthcare/rehabilitation. Here’s to
your good health!
Living Vibrantly
The Health of
Technology at
Horizon House
Resident Focus: Dorlene Agenbroad
One of Horizon House’s 2014 goals is to “develop and implement
Information Technology strategies that improve efficiency and
effectiveness of the organization.” We have initiated a Technology
Program that seeks to do just that. Mike Ostrem, Horizon House Chief
Financial and Technology Officer, is leading the Program team, with
help from technology consultant Doug Hanhart, Board of Trustees
member Tom Garland, Associate Director of Communication Hollis
Palmer, and a number of resident, staff, and family advisors.
Since last fall, our Technology Program team has developed the
Mission, Vision, and Values statement that you see here. Through a
brainstorming process, the team put together a list of more than 200
technology ideas to improve living and working at Horizon House.
This list was then categorized and prioritized in a Project Portfolio.
We also seek ongoing input from any interested resident, staff, or
family member.
In the first quarter of 2014, we upgraded our firewall and have started
work on installing Wi-Fi in all public spaces in Horizon House, as well as
in residents’ apartments. We are also working to increase the capacity
and speed of our connection to the Internet (bandwidth) for both staff
and residents. Another major project we’ve started this quarter is the
creation of intranet-type, password-protected websites for residents
and staff, beginning with online directories and calendars. And finally,
we’re in the midst of implementing a fully electronic health record
system. As these projects progress or are completed, we return to the
Project Portfolio to make sure our priorities are still in line, and then
start working on the next set of projects. A new quarterly newsletter,
Tech Times, is posted on the News and Events page of our website,
www.horizonhouse.org/about/news-and-events. View or download
your copy for the latest news in our Technology Program.
HOR IZ ON H OUSE TEC HNOLOG Y P RO GRAM
T ECHNOLOGY PR OGR AM M I SSI O N
Horizon House provides innovative, integrated, and efficient
information management systems and communication tools that
enrich the quality of life for residents and staff.
RESIDENTS
T ECHNOLOGY PR OGR AM VI SI O N
Horizon House is a recognized leader among senior communities
for comprehensive technology solutions serving residents, staff,
families, and the broader community.
I N N O VAT I O N
ACCESSIBILITY
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S T E WA R D S H I P
EFFECTIVENESS
INTEGRITY
CONNECTION
Dorlene Agenbroad has been a Horizon House resident since
August 2004, when she moved from her large family home
in Seward Park. Several of her lifelong friends lived here and
recommended it highly. Their positive experiences and Horizon
House’s long and stable history also influenced her decision.
The Marketing department’s assistance with the move-in
process, the beautiful saline pool, and the great downtown
location really set Horizon House apart. Dorlene was still
working when she became a resident, so being able to walk
to work at St. James, to the central library, or to events at
Benaroya Hall was a real plus.
Dorlene, like so many Horizon House residents, partakes in an
active, vibrant lifestyle. In collaboration with chaplains Kizzie
Jones and Terry Teigen, she works as a volunteer Memorial
Associate, helping families and friends plan memorial services
here. She extends her 40-year career in music by playing
the piano at chapel services every Thursday. Dorlene also
enjoys playing bridge and is a regular regular attendee of the
Wednesday Lounge Programs, which highlight musical and
other performing arts groups.. She is an active member of the
residents’ Ethnic Awareness Committee and a great believer in
their goal of increasing diversity at Horizon House. Every day,
Monday through Friday, from 7:00 to 7:30am, Dorlene joins a
friend for laps in the pool. In between times she benefits from
stretching exercises in our gym. Dorlene is frequently spotted
on her “Terra Trike” tricycle as she runs errands to Whole
Foods on Denny, the QFC at Harvard and Broadway, and
Group Health on Capitol Hill. The trike gets her back and forth
to church at 2nd and Denny on Sundays, too.
In answer to the question about what she treasures most at
Horizon House, Dorlene responded, “The fine friendships in
this loving community.” Her beautiful apartment with its view of
Mt. Baker is also dear to her heart—and it accommodates not
only her upright piano, but an antique pump organ!
New Horizons in Sustainability
LeadingAge Washington—a professional organization serving
nonprofit retirement communities—recognized Horizon House in
June for “Excellence in Research & Education” for our Environmental
Sustainability Program. Since 2010, Horizon House staff and residents
have been developing a sustainability vision and program that has
proven to be socially, environmentally, and financially beneficial. Some
signal successes include saving our community more than $50,000
in utility bills in 2012—which resulted in an $80 “conservation credit”
on residents’ January 2013 monthly bills. Horizon House also donated
leftover edible food—1,694 pounds of it—to help Seattle’s Food Lifeline
create 1,412 meals. Food that would have been tossed into our
compost helped our neighbors, and by lightening the load that would
have been picked up by Cedar Grove Composting, saved money
to boot.
Horizon House is working to set the bar for what sustainability can
offer within the Aging Services community. With this award, Horizon
House strives not only to be a responsible steward of the natural
environment, but also to lead the industry by being mentors to the
greater Aging Services community and collectively drive efficient
operations for a more sustainable future.
Residents’ Green Team
Horizon House 2013 Annual Report
Enjoy a comprehensive recap of
Horizon House activities and finances in
2013. The Horizon House 2013 Annual
Report is available via a downloadable link
on our website homepage,
www.horizonhouse.org.
If you prefer to receive a printed copy
through the mail, please email
marketinginfo@horizonhouse.org.
Going Green
Please consider signing up to receive Horizon House monthly news via email. E-newsletters save trees, costs, and enable you to access
more information through links to our website and others.
It’s easy! Simply click on “Enews Signup” at the bottom of our website homepage, www.horizonhouse.org; fill out the form with your first
name, last name, and email; and hit Submit—you’re all signed up. We don’t trade your email, and you can unsubscribe anytime you choose.
Thanks for going green.
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The Residents Assistance Fund
A Resource for Holistic Health
Each of us has a life story to tell. Some of the
stories prompt smiles; some of them bring
tears. Horizon House unifies our collective
stories. We may live here, work here, or have
loved ones and friends here. We may have
lost someone close to us within these walls.
Horizon House is more than a building, it is a
home.
started a program to help those who,
through no fault of their own, outlived their
resources. These early residents were
determined to care for each other and
to preserve that goal of caring for their
neighbors as a top priority. Today, 50+ years
later, the Residents Assistance Fund remains
at the heart of our mission.
A home is defined by the values and
relationships of the people who live there.
In the early years, Horizon House residents
The Residents Assistance Fund is
available to those of us who experience
financial hardship. For residents who live
independently, it assists with groceries,
medications, and monthly fees. For residents
in Supported Living, the fund subsidizes
health and dental care, special therapies,
and room and board. The fund also provides
residents, family members, and friends with
emotional security and peace of mind. In
2013 Horizon House granted $684,400 to
assist 12 residents in need. We thank the
Residents Assistance Fund donors for their
contributions to our well-being.
Our family is so grateful to Horizon House donors who support the Residents Assistance Fund.
Despite years of careful planning, my parents’ financial situation is not what they expected it to be. The
Horizon House family has been extraordinarily thoughtful and supportive of them. The warmth and
kindness of residents and staff have kept my parents more active and healthy—physically, mentally,
and spiritually—than I would have believed possible.
GEM Grants Program Enriches
Health and Wellness
When our many donors contribute to Partners in Caring, Horizon
House’s annual fundraising effort, one of the reserves they can
sustain is the Quality of Resident Life Fund. As the name implies, this
valuable resource supports areas of greatest need in our community.
The fund is considered “unrestricted” because it is made without
any condition or designation. Philanthropy uses a portion of these
funds to maintain its popular GEM Grants Program. Projects are
created by residents and staff and are then vetted by the GEM and
Philanthropy Committees. Thanks to our generous donors and GEM
funding, we have recently had some great additions that help to
keep our residents healthy and happy!
For those with hearing loss, we have added assisted listening devices to the public areas of our
community: the Performance Hall, the Sky Lounge, and the Myrtle Edwards and Robert Durham
rooms.
For residents in our Memory Support neighborhood, we have added brightly colored dishes
and serving ware to stimulate appetite and kindle interest in food, Bose System Connect to ease
anxiety and enhance listening pleasure, and a blanket warmer for the spa.
For those who reside in Supported Living, GEM projects include enhancements to the media
centers, reclining chairs, memorial boards, and atrium garden. Supported Living residents even
gave Tai Chi a try, thanks to a GEM Grant!
The Wellness Center has a new SportsArt treadmill and Star Trac elliptical trainer for all to use.
In the near future, we can expect a replacement for the weight rack.
For many of our residents, spiritual care is an essential element of wellness. A recent GEM
Grant financed a handsome prayer wheel and storage cabinet crafted by local artists specifically
for our Interfaith Chapel. These recent additions represent the Buddhist and Jewish traditions
and bring peace and harmony to those who practice other faith traditions.
Thank you to our donors and our innovative residents and staff for bringing these health and
wellness enhancements to our community!
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Partners in
Caring
Partners in Caring, Horizon House’s
annual fundraising effort, officially
launched last spring with a goal
of raising $345,000 in 2014. This
community-wide effort raises money
for three important Horizon House
funds: the Quality of Resident Life
Fund, the Employee Education Fund,
and the Residents Assistance Fund.
As of June, we have raised nearly
$250,000 towards this goal. For
additional information about this
effort or to make a gift, please visit
our website at www.horizonhouse.
org/philanthropy, or contact Melissa
Jackson at 206.382.3263. Every gift
makes a difference in our community.
Residents’ Council 2014
Bill Andersen, President
Lou Templeton, Vice President
Jeannette Kahlenberg, Secretary
Terry Gudger, Treasurer
Other members of the
Residents’ Council include:
Fam Bayless, Helen Bottomly,
Carol Burkhart, Pat Henry, Frank Little,
Dorothy McGee, Simon Ottenberg,
Zoa Shumway, Jim Travis
Creative Living at Horizon House
What’s Inside
• Health and Wellness
• Spiritual Care
• The Art of Healthy Living
• The Health of
Technology at
Horizon House
• Living Vibrantly
• New Horizons in
Sustainability
• Horizon House 2013
Annual Report
• Going Green
• The Residents
Assistance Fund
Board of Trustees 2014
Horizon House
900 University Street
Seattle, WA 98101
Karen Lane, President
Jim Fitzgerald, Vice President
Susan Duffy, Secretary
Bob Cline, Treasurer
Fletch Waller, Past President
Other members of the
Board of Trustees include:
Bill Andersen, Ann Brand, Margaret Burke,
Richard Counts, Julius Debro,
Mike Denton, Tom Garland, Ned Lange,
David Okimoto, Kathleen Paul, Kathy Turner
• GEM Grants Program
Enriches Health and
Wellness
• Partners in Caring
• Devoted to Her
Neighbors
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Seattle, WA
Permit No. 711
206.382.3100
www.HorizonHouse.org
Horizon House is a dynamic nonprofit retirement community dedicated to dignified aging, life fulfillment, and service to the broader community.
Devoted to Her Neighbors Donor Focus: Della Ramsden
Della Ramsden is not
only a longtime Seattle
resident, she is also a
longstanding resident
of Horizon House. Her
life as a Seattleite began
in 1947, when she and
three girlfriends decided to pack up and
drive across the country together in search
of a new life. Born and raised in Minnesota,
Della attended the University of Minnesota,
graduating with a degree in medical
technology. Her cross-country adventure
landed her a job in the pathology department
at Swedish Hospital on First Hill.
Her relocation also landed her a husband!
Upon arriving in Seattle, Della and her
girlfriends moved into a rooming house on
Capitol Hill, where three of the four met
their future husbands. Each new couple
was married in 1948. Della and Floyd Donald
Ramsden were united in the Congregational
Church at Broadway and Mercer.
Della and Don eventually moved to the Crown
Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Again, Della was
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a pacesetter, helping to start the technology
program at the University of Washington. As
a lab instructor in clinical chemistry, she met
fellow Horizon House residents, doctors Alec
Stevens and Monty Powell.
Della’s retirement in 1963 allowed her to travel
with Don. In his position with Boeing, he was
transferred to the lively city of New Orleans.
Della worked part-time and enjoyed her
spare time embracing the spirit of Mardi Gras,
the Sugar Bowl, and the local talent of Pete
Fountain and Al Hirt.
After Don passed away, Della began another
new chapter in her life as a resident at
Horizon House. She moved in the same day
as Harriet Trabert, and they quickly became
friends. Della was looking for a retirement
community where she could experience the
same kind of independence she enjoyed
during her working life. Horizon House was a
good choice—she has lived in her apartment
for 24 1/2 years.
Della is glad she decided to reside at
Horizon House, where she feels part of an
extended family. She graciously accepts roles
in the community, participating on health
committees and in the Supported Living
neighborhoods. She loves a good game of
bridge and never misses her bi-weekly circuit
training class. As a hiker, she continues to
appreciate the outdoors and is often seen in
Freeway Park, completing her one-mile walk
every day.
Della has many friends at Horizon House,
ironically some whom she may not even know.
She is a longtime supporter of the Residents
Assistance Fund. Della believes in contributing
locally and has a strong passion for those
who have come from modest means. Her
compassion for our community is evident. She
made her first gift shortly after moving in; she
is a dedicated donor to Partners in Caring and
is a member of the Heritage Society, having
made several planned gifts.
It is our good fortune that this Minnesota girl
ended up in Seattle. We are honored to have
Della as a member of the Horizon House
family, and we appreciate her generosity
toward her neighbors.